Redefining the modern day femme fatale: The 405 meets Chløë Black

Chløë is manning the navigation as the modern day femme fatale opens up about what that title truly means and the artistic inspirations that turn her on.

In the glam yet gritty surrealist-noir world Chløë Black inhabits in the recent video for her latest single, 'Wild At Heart,' the London-based singer is dripping blood all over her chic frilly white blouse in the front seat of her car. Although no longer inside the hyper-reality on set, the deranged and somehow beautiful cinematic aesthetic is exactly how I picture the alt-pop star when she picks up her cell on speakerphone and tells me she's in the midst of a road-trip to Bristol for a gig, the next stop on her mini tour.

Chløë is manning the navigation as the modern day femme fatale opens up about what that title truly means and the artistic inspirations that turn her on.

If I had been born with a dick, I would have been a drag queen. I've always loved make-up. I think I found my first lipstick when I was three years old. The femininity wasn't really something that I chose, it was always something that was more innate. The goth-style, that's something I've always had as a kid. I always found the villains fascinating and I inspired to be that sort of femme fatale sort of women.

What's your definition of a modern femme fatale in 2015?

That's an exciting question, especially because I feel like we're living in an exciting time right now in terms of feminism. We've got such a long way to go and that's really inspiring in a lot of ways. Sometimes, I look around and feel like it's fucking 1950 but then, you see chicks on Instagram with their armpit hair dyed pink and that sort of gives me hope. It's cool that young women are feeling like 'feminist' is no longer a dirty word. I think being a femme fatale definitely means owning your sexuality and not feeling ashamed of any part of that, your body or being powerful or a bitch. It's quite difficult for a woman in business to assert yourself without coming across as bitchy. That can be off-putting to a lot of women, myself included, but you just have to do it and not be afraid to be called a diva.

Incredible video for 'Wild At Heart.' What is it about David Lynch and Twin Peaks that offered the perfect inspiration for the visuals?

I love David Lynch. I'm obsessed with films pretty much and especially dark films. Nadia Lee Cohen, who directed 'Wild At Heart', I found her Instagram in January and freaked out, because I feel like she's my soulmate. She likes all the same songs as I do. She has this really sort of glamorous yet ugly aesthetic. Everything is really beautiful and surreal, but also creepy. She and I both love David Lynch and Twin Peaks. With Twin Peaks, it's got such a nice mix of nostalgia and the '50s type of styling but then also a sinister edge to it and not in an obvious way. It isn't a standard crime, horror movie type of vibe. David Lynch's stuff is so weird and dreamlike. It's bizarre.

So weird. But I'm really excited for the reboot. Oh gosh, I would probably murder my grandmother to be a part of the new series. That's how excited I am.

Well in honour of the 'Wild At Heart' video release, I found some famous David Lynch quotes and I thought it would be fun if you wanted to add your commentary on them in relation to your life and your own art. First, he said: "I don't know why people expect art to make sense. They accept the fact that life doesn't make sense."

That's brilliant. What a smart man. It's true. How boring for things to make sense. I get so bored watching the same bullshit romantic comedies where you know everything that's coming. It's so predictable.

Lynch said, "It's so beautiful in a way to have a great failure. There's nowhere to go but up." So what has been a great failure in your own life or career that you've learned from?

Pretty much everything up to this point. But I'm a big believer of learning from mistakes and they can't really be mistakes, because it gets you to where you need to be. It's a part of your journey. I think also that you feel more comfortable with mistakes when you're proud of what you're doing. Until recently, I don't think I was proud of what I was doing in writing. I was lost in trying to please other people and not myself. I thought that if I was being myself that no one would accept me, because I'm a bit of a weirdo. Actually, it's the complete opposite. People will accept you more if you're a weirdo. I believe in mistakes.

Another one: "I like things that go into hidden and mysterious places. Places I want to explore that are very disturbing. In that disturbing thing, sometimes there is poetry and truth."

The Freudian id is the most important part of our psyche. That's the part of your psyche that deals with dreams and darkness and all your repressed dysfunction. It's fascinating.

Finally, "Intuition is the key to everything. In painting, filmmaking, business - everything. I think you can have an intellectual ability but if you can sharpen your intuition, which they say is emotion and intellect together, then a knowingness occurs." How has intuition helped you throughout your career?

I'm not sure that I've been doing a very good job of listening to mine yet but I'm trying to do that more. You often find yourself kicking yourself later like, I fucking knew that person was awful. Why didn't I listen to my inner voice?

Besides David Lynch and Twin Peaks, what are some other things that you're obsessed with at the moment that turns you on creatively?

I've been watching some Kenneth Anger films which are inspiring and listening to the Cars and '50s, '60s soundtracks which are really cute. I've always really liked the juxtaposition of light and dark, so cute music over bloody gory scenes. In terms of filmmakers, my sort of constant inspiration is like Fellini, Harmony Korine and I'm obsessed with Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. I actually found this place in London full of neon where they have a statue of Jesus holding neon guns, which is like paradise for me.

Do you collect art as well?

Not yet, because I'm broke. But I started to collect Japanese film posters. They're like Japanese versions of French films. I own a Taxi Driver one and an Alphaville one. I think they're really beautiful.

You're also currently working on your debut album. What are your hopes for your first full-length?

I would love for it to become a classic album that people love and listen to. I've been taking my time and I want every song on the record to be good and for there to be five or six or seven songs that people think could be singles. That's sort of the pressure that I'm putting on myself. In terms of how the world receives it, it's hard to have those kind of expectations, because I can't imagine what it would be like to be successful and have a number one album. Obviously it would be wonderful, but I'm taking it in baby steps.

What has the process of putting it together been like and what has that process taught you about yourself?

I make notes constantly. I used to think that writing a song, you sit down at a desk or at the studio and do things in a linear way. I've realized that over the last couple of years that my best work comes from constantly keeping my eyes and ears open and making notes. I have this big kind of jumble of words that I take into the studio with the music and that works best for me.